Tuesday Terror-Dirt Boy

I think almost every horror movie has a family estrangement story of some sort in there. This movie, Dirt Boy, is no exception, but it is part of a mystery.

This was filmed in the Cape Cod area, and is obviously and independent film. This film was very good, and not the disappointment of other independent horror films where you actually hear the director shouting cut or see the mike!!!

This film was very well done, and I found it hard to go away for a drink, bathroom or anything before it was done. I very much enjoyed this. I had my doubts considering it was an American made horror movie on Netflix's play immediately list LOL. In fact, I forgot to play it on my computer, and was bummed when it came in on DVD. I loved this movie though.

Tuesday Terror-P2, Cloverfield, The Orphanage

Here is a tip on Netflix. If it's foreign and horror on instant play, it's probably really good. Otherwise, not so much. So instant play English and Horror, probably worth while just playing it for a few minutes to verify that it completely sucks, and then take it out of your que!!

However, these are various movies that I have seen lately, that are deservingly well made horror movies IMHO.

P2 Very cool thriller about a parking attendant that has gone over the edge. I found it suspenseful and gripping. Also the woman in this is not your typical girly screamy victim.

Cloverfield I waited for this movie with baited breathe for so long, I was sure that I was going to be disappointed. I really enjoyed this film. Good traditional giant sized monster story, from the video of a single video camera.

Well worth the wait, and I loved this.

The Orphanage Subtitled spanish horror movie about a woman that wants to reopen an orphanage that she was brought up in, to rehabilitate troubled or special needs youth. This has a couple of really good mysteries in it. Very frightening in places.

This was out on Netflix for instant play before it was ever available on movies on demand et!!!

Tuesday Terror-Deadly End

For squirm factor, I am particularly partial to a couple of gory scenes here. I have had bad dreams about this. I mean not in these circumstances, but....

Acting is so so. One kind of sexy scene that becomes the basis for why the neighbor is "after" them. A pretty original story I think. I can't think of any that I watched that involved poisonings, except maybe Arsenic and Old Lace, which was sort of a comedy in a lot of ways. Story line does have some wholes though, and the typical spineless and helpless female victim.

So I dunno. I guess I recommend it for the somewhat original story line and gore factor, though the not well thought out story line and borderline acting would make it pretty tough to watch again.

Tuesday Terror-Joshua

This was a movie I found on Movies on Demand while selecting something that I could sleep to, yet be interested in getting my money's worth the next day. Let's just say, no sleeping occurred after this movie started.

Reviews didn't seem to like it, but I really enjoyed this creepy, quiet, and understated movie. That being said, I am going to check out the one the reviewer said was like it (only better) Birth.

Not really sure that I had the motivation right, and am confused about some things that happened and how they tied in with the overall plot and motiviation. The expected killing of the dogs and animals for instance? Perhaps it had something to do with the Egyptian mummification process that intigued him so?

That would be the one main complaint that I had with the movie. I was going to say more, but now I get into the area of perhaps spoiling the movie for any who haven't seen it.

***Note, it's interesting how many horror movies actually tie into the disfunctional family theme!!

Tuesday Terror-Malevolence

Okay, a nice find this week. I love this movie. It's apparently this director's only movie, and got horrid reviews, but seriously, I loved it. I actually gave it five stars.

Creepy, scary, new and interesting story line, the only complaint I have is this was supposed to be a three part series, and now I despair that the other two may never come to pass.

Tuesday Terror-Ghost of The Needle

Orignal and clever little film, I thought. Some questions regarding whether the killer would be so stupid as to.....[don't want to spoil the fun here], but then again, who said every serial killer needed to be bright?

Actually, serial killers are arrogant, and that's usually how they are caught. So I guess it's not that far fetched.

Some orginal ideas here. Some things done before. Overall though, I think it worked in a home spun horror kind of way. I liked and recomend it.

Tuesday Terror-Pan's Labyrinth

Pan's Labyrinth is a very dark "fairy tale" or fantasy story. I did enjoy it, even though it was one of those pesky subtitled foreign films. Very imaginative story line, and I was totally engrossed until the end.

I do love dark fairy tales. Brother's Grimm is another one of those movies (though more Disney than this movie) which is in the dark fairy tale genre IMHO.

Again related to estrangements, step parents, children being shunned et. Really very well done. I would give this four and a half stars, and maybe five.

Tuesday Terror-Rob Zombie's Halloween

I actually watched Rob Zombie's Halloween before the New Year. I adore House of 1000 Corpses, and so wanted to like this movie (much like I WANTED to like Devil's Rejects).

I did appreciate the back story, but didn't feel the movie went far enough or was creative enough. Probably my expectations were way to high for this. I would recomend watching it, but don't expect it to be any kind of horror movie revelation.

There were things I liked about it. They made Laurie's adopted parents real people, and they had a part (don't want to spoil it) in the story that they hadn't in the orginal. Enjoyed Michael's solution to a bully problem, and thought that was very well done.

The chase scenes had some moments, but the orginal IMHO was much scarier. I liked the alternate ending that they did not use, and not the one that was used.

Worth seeing, but below what I expected Rob Zombie to produce. Course, he is still beginning in this genre. I would give it three stars. (out of five). Maybe two and a half, it's hard to seperate how much I want to like the movie, and how much I actually liked the movie. Whether I am judging it on expectation or how it was if I didn't have expectations for the director.

Tuesday Terror-Addendum to Halloween Movie Must Haves

1. Whatever Happened to Baby Jane? 1962


2. Portrait of Dorian Gray 1945


3. Wicker Man 1973 (the remake 2006 was very good as well)


4. Sixth Sense 1999


5. Invisible Man 1958


6. Diaboliques 1955


7. Silence of the Lambs 1991


8. Hannibal 2001


9. Hush Hush Sweet Charlotte 1964


10. Single White Female 1992


11. Fatal Attraction 1987


12. (Duh) Carrie 1976


13. The Ring 2002


14. Poltergeist 1982 (the first one IMHO)


15. Sleepy Hollow 1999


16. Dead Zone 1983
17. The Fog 1980 (the orginal only IMHO)
18. The People Under The Stairs 1981 (funny comedy horror)
19. House of Wax 1953(remake 2005 is campy sort of crap, but I liked the back story that they gave to it, and it had nothing to do with the orginal Vincent Price House of Wax)
20. Motel Hell 1980 (I don't know how I forgot this one)
21. The Thing 1982 (sci fi horror)
22. It 1990 (Stephen King)
23. Alien 1979 (sci fi horror)
24. Jurassic Park 1993
25. Black Christmas 1974(the orginal, not the remake)
26. The Vanishing 1993
27. The Bad Seed 1956
28. The Good Son 1993
29. Magic 1978
30. Stranger in Our House or Summer of Fear 1978
31. Secret Window 2004
32. (OMG) The Baby 1973-Talk about a twist ending!!!!
33. The Invasion of the Body Snatchers 1978
34. She Creature 2001
35. Vacancy (may be listed twice) 2007


36. Rebecca 1940

Tuesday Terror 1969 Blind Beast

Interesting little disturbing movie. Rape and kidnap theme that I don't normally like, and not really sure I liked in this movie. However, this is a pretty orginal movie, and quite disturbing. I didn't take it too literally due to the ending, it seems something else was suggested.

Surprising Japanese little horror gem.

Tuesday Terror's Do Not Bother-Legend of Boggy Creek Resurected

Resurrected 1992

-I can't call it the worst movie that I have seen, as I have seen some doosies. However, only see this if you are wondering what happened to the actor in Fast Times at Ridgemont High who deflowered the young hot girl, and then was an ass afterwards. If you are wondering how an actor can fall hard and fast, and develop no talent, well, you've got your movie. He has a small role. Really, Really bad.

This 1975 movie was done documentary style, but is more like one of those school reels you would watch. How babies are made, or dating or something like that. Very hokey. Some nice scenery, and I wouldn't bother. It was probably the first of it's kind however.

1986 & that's Grace Jones in Vamp. I don't even know what would have possessed me to order this one. If you are curious, just don't be. Trying to be in the funny style of American Werewolf, but truly bad. Grace doesn't have any lines, just her classic "look". Yikes.

Tuesday Terror-----Vacancy

Okay, related to estrangement as we start out with a couple (one of whom is played by Luke Wilson) on their way to divorce in this movie called Vacancy. Car trouble....creepy guy at gas station.....car dies out after all....they hike back to creepy hotel near creepy gas station. In this picture, they are trying to get YOUR attention for the GUY BEHIND YOU, yipes!!!

Then the fun begins. This is one that frankly scared me, and as you can imagine, I am a little jaded by the frequent watching of horror movies to be scared easily. Something about the subect matter (and I will NOT clue you in here) just really did the job.

Tuesday Terror-Severance

Cross between a very mild Hostel and The Office. Again dark comedy horror movie, done well, I love them. The only thing missing was the why, and what was going on. Now some people like true fans of the orginal Halloween claim this makes it creepier. I am more of a fan of a little history. That was about the only the "wrong" with this film that is right up my alley.

Die! Die! My Darling

A young Stephanie Powers in a horror movie. I had seen this before, and liked it well enough. I had caught it in the middle on tv, so I hadn't remembered the title or anything. It's kind of a cool little known classic. Course, I didn't remember liking it so much as to sit through it again.

Sort of a religious undertones horror movie. Clearly showing hte religious woman as a nutcase, so don't worry.

Not a must see, but a see if you are bored and want to see something a little new and a littel unusual.

Tuesday Terror-Tormented

Okay, I have not watched a good horror flick. Due to the requests for good horror flicks, I am attaching the link to my other blog that lists all the horror flicks I have recently seen, and what I think about them. http://mannerlymutts.typepad.com/middle_aged_princess/horror_movies/index.html

There was a recent gem that I found called Tormented. A little hokey in that it was on the cusp of 59/60, so you got some interesting "lingo". All in all, it did remind me of a ghost movie that I think Meryl Streep in The French Lieutenant's woman. Something about a widow that had an illicit affair in Victorian or earlier times with a soldier. I will have to look it up later. I am not really sure it was a ghost story or a redo of a famous Greta Garbo movie where she jumped in front of a train at the end, after a similar affair.

Tuesday Terror-Dead Silence

Dead Silence is the movie of my day. And it has family estrangement in it, so I'ma gonna use it!!! I don't really want to ruin any of the mystery so I will summarize it briefly.

Couple, who are married and in love, receive ventroquist dummy in unmarked package at their door. Some mention of like "oh isn't that like the scary poem our parents used to tell us?" Sadly didn't prompt them to throw out doll right there. Tragedy strikes. Cops on wrong trail. Husband to solve crime, and the mystery begins......

After a trip back to creepy home town with creepier father with new young wifey. Not perhaps the best acting that I have seen, but decent plot and twists that had me not nodding off. Wasn't quite scared by it, per say. Even though it's about creepy dolls. Maybe I have just seen too many movies about creepy dolls.